Two Elko casinos are named in notices warning that they could shut their doors on November 30, a move that would put 239 workers out of a job just before the holidays. The Maverick Casino Hotel and the Gold Country Inn and Casino are both listed in the filings, which cover 198 employees at the Maverick property and 41 at Gold Country.
Both Elko properties are operated by Maverick Gaming and owned by Maverick NV LLC, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal. The Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification notices were filed with the Nevada Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation, the standard mechanism companies use to give advance warning of large-scale layoffs or closures. Crucially, the filing language leaves the door open: the closures may not occur at all, or could simply be delayed, if the properties transition to a new owner-operator before the deadline.
A Company in Transition
The potential closures come as Maverick Gaming works through what the Review-Journal described as an ownership transition tangled up with a bankruptcy filing. Maverick, which also owns casinos in Washington and Colorado, has been navigating a complicated restructuring that traces back to 2025.
Eric Persson, Maverick's co-founder and owner, told the outlet that in July 2025 he agreed to transfer assets to his lenders, who then filed for bankruptcy through a separate company. Persson said his current company is not in bankruptcy and is a distinct entity from the one tied up in that proceeding — he has since repurchased the Maverick Gaming name. The Review-Journal reported it tried unsuccessfully to reach Persson for comment on the Elko filings specifically.
A Washington Precedent, With No Guarantee for Nevada
Maverick has been down this road before. The company received similar closure notifications for eight casinos in Washington, but Persson is now buying back properties in Lakewood, Everett, Silverdale, Yakima, Pasco and Kennewick, with a new company expected to complete the purchase within three weeks, according to KIRO 7. That deal is expected to let roughly 850 employees — dealers, cooks, servers, bartenders, cashiers and supervisors — keep their jobs. “The building never closes,” Persson told the station.
Two Tukwila casinos were the subject of earlier, separate closure notices filed by Maverick Gaming affecting 238 employees, with a Nov. 1 closure date listed, per the same report. Separately, Yogonet reported that Maverick Washington LLC filed notices for the same eight Washington casinos named in the planned buyback, with the same caveat that a new owner or operator could prevent or delay the shutdowns. The planned buyback is expected to preserve about 850 Washington jobs. None of that, however, establishes what will ultimately happen at the Elko properties, where no comparable buyback has been reported.
What Comes Next for Elko
For now, the fate of the Maverick Casino Hotel and Gold Country Inn and Casino remains an open question. The WARN filings give Maverick Gaming a window to find a new owner-operator before the Nov. 30 date arrives, mirroring the path the company is taking in Washington. Whether that outcome plays out in Elko, where 239 workers are watching the calendar, has not yet been determined.
